Careful What You Wish For
by terri-lynnashley87
Summary: How does Ronald Weasley /really/ feel when his daughter goes off to Hogwarts? What kind of trouble will Rose get into? And how many times with Hermione tell Ron not to worry? Will she end up with Scorpius Malfoy? Or someone even more dangerous? The only thing saving Ron's sanity is that Rose's older cousins will be there to keep a close eye on her.
1. Preface

AN: So I've been wanting to write a fanfic about this for sooo long. (: I've finally found the inspiration to do so. I know Rose/Scorpius is overly done. But, I haven't quite decided where I'm going with this. So bear with me. As I continue you through the chapters, I may not even have Rose end up with Scorpius. I haven't figured it all out yet.

Well, I hope whoever's reading this enjoys it! (: Constructive (and nice) criticism is always welcome!  
-xo!

* * *

Rose felt warmth from the candles on her face as she leaned in to blow out the tiny flames on her birthday cake. Her face split into a huge grin. This was it. She knew exactly what this meant. It wasn't every day you turned eleven, and now she finally was. In exactly a week, she'd be heading out on the Hogwarts Express, /finally/ going to Hogwarts, where she belonged.

When she opened her eyes, she looked around at all the smiling faces of her family. Her mom, dad, and brother, Hugo. Her aunt Ginny and uncle Harry were there too, and her cousins, Albus, James and Lily. Albus was the same age as Rose, his birthday just a few weeks before. Both of them would be going to Hogwarts together, in the same class. Teddy was also there, and more of her cousins, Victoire, Dominique and Louis. He, too, was her age.

Glancing up, her mother came to her side with a knife in her hand, handing it to Rose. "Time to cut your cake," her mother, Hermione, had whispered in her ear. Ever since she could remember, most of her family had celebrated their birthdays with both Muggle and magical traditions. Birthday cake was part of a Muggle tradition. She gratefully accepted the knife from her mother and drew a deep breath as she sliced the cake.

"CRUMBS, CRUMBS, CRUMBS," her brother, along with Albus and James had chanted. She groaned. This was one of the things they had learned through Muggle tradition.

Slowly, with caution, Rose pulled the knife from the cake. Sure enough, little chocolate crumbs covered the edge of the blade. "Now you have to tell us who your boyfriend is!" she heard Albus erupt. The boys all started to laugh, even Louis, who didn't quite understand these particular antics.

"Well, that'll be hard, considering I don't have one yet," Rose said, sounding unnervingly like her mother.


	2. Chapter 1: Diagon Alley

AN: And this is the first chapter (: Be sure to leave comments about how you feel about it! The next chapter or two is just basically Rose getting settled into Hogwarts. (:

* * *

Rose was the first of her small family to enter Flourish and Blotts in late August of the year 2017. She closed her eyes, standing in the door way and drew in a deep breath, allowing the scent of fresh parchment to fill her nose. Rose knew she was like her mother – Her mother always said one of her favorite smells in the world was fresh parchment, and it was Rose's too.

Feeling something bump against her back, Rose realized that she was blocking the way into the shop and other students, such as her were anxious to see inside. She stepped to the side and waited for her parents, and younger brother, Hugo, to catch up with her. As she pulled out the list that was attached to her Letter, she felt a pair of eyes looking over her shoulder.

"Blimey, they're still using the same books from when we were there," Rose heard her father say from behind her. He chuckled softly, and placed a protective hand on her shoulder.

"It's really awful that I didn't keep my copy of the books," her mother said, "At least she'd be able to /read/ mine," as apparent stab at her father. Rose loved the way her parents were always bickering. Hermione was walking off, shaking her head as Rose turned around to face her father and brother.

"Dad," Rose piped up, holding her cauldron with all of her other, previously purchased supplies, tightly in her hands. "What was it like? When you first came to Diagon Alley?" Personally, Rose loved hearing stories about when her father, mother and Uncle Harry were still in Hogwarts. Some of the stories she'd heard… She almost couldn't believe them. Fighting a giant snake in a chamber beneath the school? Ginormous spiders in the Dark Forest? Surely they had to be exaggerating a bit…

"Well, Rosie," her father started, his hand still on his daughter's shoulder. "It was just like this. Nothing's changed, not really. There's still the same smell of parchment here, and still the same owls being sold at Eeylops'. Things have just updated, a bit. Mr. Ollivander, who'll you'll be meeting later today, isn't the same Mr. Ollivander who sold me my wand when I was eleven." Rose didn't need to ask questions. She knew what her father had meant. However, before she could open her mouth to speak any more, her mother returned with all of the school books that she'd need.

"Where are we going next, Mummy?" Rose asked excitedly. She noticed that Hugo seemed abnormally quiet today – Perhaps it was because he couldn't be quite as involved in this experience as she could. "Can I get a racing broom?" she asked, nearly jumping up and down. Ron looked at Hermione quizzically. It was obvious what he was thinking. Rose must've inherited her broom abilities from her aunt Ginny, since it was quite obvious she didn't get the skills from her parents. "/I'm/ going to try out for my house's Quidditch team," Rose bragged, looking overly proud.

"Not this year, kiddo," Ron said, lifting his hand to ruffle her hair slightly. "First years aren't allowed to have their own broomsticks until they actually learn how to fly them. Next year you can try out," he told her, not noticing Rose's slight pout.

Hermione glanced at Ron and grinned. "Sweetheart, I think it's about time we head to Ollivander's," she said, looking down at Rose, gaging her reaction.

In a split second, Rose's eyes lit up. She'd been to Diagon Alley before. Her family would make special trips there so her parents could buy supplies from some of their favorite shops (not to mention her father also worked at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with her Uncle George). She'd been into most of the shops before, but the one place she hadn't been yet was Ollivander's. She'd heard stories from all of her older cousins, aunts, uncles and her parents of when they got their wand at Ollivander's. Sure, she'd been able to do a few small spells before, but with her own wand she could learn more complicated spells – She'd be a witch just like her mother.

* * *

Entering Ollivander's was unlike anything else Rose had ever experienced. It was beautiful – Very dusty, but beautiful. There were stacks and stacks of wands filling the shelves, all coating in a soft film of dust. There was one vase in the corner, filled with lively flowers, and there was a crickety old stool next to the door, which Hugo gratefully sat upon. There seemed to be no one in the shop, apart from her family. Rose wondered about this, since it seemed so busy in the street.

After a moment or two, a much younger man than Rose had imagined strolled out, standing behind the desk in the middle of the shop. "Ron Weasley," she heard her father say, as he stepped in front of her to shake the younger gentleman's hand. "This is my wife, Hermione, my daughter, Rose, and Hugo, my son. This is Rose's first year to Hogwarts," he explained with a proud grin.

"Ah yes," Mr. Ollivander said. He'd had a much older sounding voice when he spoke. "It's a shame that it was my father who sold you your first wand, and not I," he said with a slight grin that barely pulled up one side of his mouth. "Rose Weasley, Rose Weasley," he muttered as he turned his back to them and began looking through wands that littered the wall. She was sure there weren't two alike there.

"Give this one a try," he said as he pulled a wand out. He opened it for Rose, carefully taking it from the silk lining of the box, and handing it to her, the handle toward her. "Rowan wood, unicorn hair, ten and a quarter inches," he explained. She stood with the wand in her hand, it feeling unusually heavy. She'd seen her mother and father use their wands millions of times. Right now, however, it was as if she had stage fright. "Well, go on, give it a flick."

Drawing a deep breath, Rose carefully flicked her wrist, closing her eyes. She heard things exploding from the end of the wand, and she opened her eyes slowly, one by one. Before looking anywhere else, she first looked up to her parents. Their faces were of pure astonishment. In a half a second, she looked around and she saw a beautiful blue haze drifting out of her wand, and around her. Rose felt a warmth grow in her heart as she realized that this was /her/ wand.

"Magnificent," she heard Mr. Ollivander murmurs. She turned back to him, and saw that he was smiling now – a real smile, one that split his face in half. "That wand seems to have found its owner," Mr. Ollivander said proudly, looking up at Rose's parents.

When her father walked over to the desk Mr. Ollivander was standing behind to pay the man, Rose slipped her new wand into her robes, feeling her heart swell with pride.

"I think that's everything we need," she heard her mother's soft voice say as they left the wand shop, heading back out into the busy street.

Just as her mother got the words out of her mouth, Rose spotted a very familiar face. "Teddy!" she screeched, bolting down the street when his eyes connected with hers. He was much bigger than she was, as he was eight years older than she was. She wrapped her arms around her big cousin, and he spun around, his arms around her waist before setting her back on the ground. Rose always looked up to her cousin. She was closest with him, and it saddened her that they wouldn't be able to attend Hogwarts together.

"Where's everybody else?" her father asked when the rest of her family caught up.

"Back there," he said, grinning up at his uncle. "I went ahead. I wanted to check out Weasley's, maybe pick out a couple good things for my brothers." He laughed softly. "I think they're heading to Ollivander's next, with Al." Teddy straightened up, wrapping one arm around Rose's shoulders.

"Oh!" she squeaked, remembering that they had just left Ollivander's. "I just got my wand, too!" she exclaimed proudly. She took out her wand, showing it to Teddy. It was rather plain looking, kind of like Rose. She didn't mind though. It suited her perfectly. "Rowan, unicorn hair and ten and quarter inches," she showed him, pride glowing on her face.

Teddy inspected it and gave a smirk of approval just when the rest of his family caught up. "Got your wand, I see," her Uncle Harry noted, grinning down at her.

Rose nodded enthusiastically. "We were just heading there with Albus," Ginny told Rose's parents.

After they said their goodbyes, Rose watched as the rest of her family headed into Ollivander's.

"I think," Rose heard her father say, pulling her from her thoughts. "We have one more place to go." He took Rose's hand and led his family through the street. Rose's head was on a constant swivel, looking around at everyone else that filled the streets. Most people were in Hogwarts robes, like hers. Their parents were dressed like her, in plain traveling robes.

When her father stopped, Rose looked up and realized they were at Eeylops. "But, Dad," Rose said, slightly confused about while they were here. "Don't we already have an owl? Pig?"

"Well, Rosie," her father said, before glancing up at her mother with a slight grin. "Your mum and I thought it would be good if you get your own owl. Sort of like a late birthday present."

Together, they walked inside the Emporium, while her mother and Hugo stayed outside. The first thing Rose noticed was that it smelled funny inside. She assumed it was because of all the different animals. She looked curiously at the many cats, rats and toads until they were beneath the owlry. She heard them before she seen them. Looking up, Rose spied all the different owls overhead.

Rose stood back as her father spoke to the Eeylops' man behind the counter. When he strode back over to her, he had a grin on his face. "Okay, Rosie," he said, kneeling down in front of her. "It's all settled. You can pick whichever owl you like." He stood again, looking up at all the owls over them.

This was going to be a big decision, Rose thought. Her very own owl. She wanted this to be perfect. Looking up, she inspected all of the owls, being very careful as she picked her own. "That one," she said, raising her hand to point at the one she chose. It was a small barn out, very tiny, like her, but she assumed that it was still young.

"That one's a female," the man from behind the counter said, as he stepped around to the front. "Very loyal. She's still young, but a very good choice." He made a whistling sound, and the owl swooped down, landing on his outstretched arm. The man put her in a very large cage before Rose's dad paid him. "Have you thought of a name?"

Rose's eyes flew open as she realized she had never thought of a name for her new owl. "I, well…" she paused for a moment as she thought. "Pru," she finally said, deciding upon it. "Short for Prudence."


	3. Chapter 2: King's Cross

AN: So you guys! What house do you think Rose is going to be in? The next chapter is going to be the Sorting ceremony, and where she meets some of the other students in her class. (:

* * *

A few days later, Rose and her family were headed to King's Cross Station. The train to Hogwarts would be leaving at exactly 11 o'clock. Rose glanced at the large clock in the middle of the station. It was only 10:30. They had plenty of time.

Rose was pushed the trolley with her trunk and Pru on top. She was trailing behind Hugo and her father, with her mother to her right. "Mummy, what's it like?" Rose asked. She was constantly curious, always wanting more information. Exactly like her mother. "The train, I mean. And Hogwarts."

Hermione looked immediately down at her daughter, a beautiful smile gracing her face. "Well, Darling. It's wonderful. I knew nothing about this world before I got my letter to Hogwarts, but you already know that. It was entirely different than what I was used to. But amazing. Hogwarts is amazing. Like home." Hermione smiled, remembering her time at Hogwarts. She'd never felt more at home in her life than when she was at Hogwarts.

This was Rose's first time on Platform nine and three quarters. She's heard stories, of course, from her older cousins. She was listening to the people around her, having conversations. Muggles, by the sounds of it. Rose hadn't encountered many muggles in her eleven years.

"I remember my first time on the Hogwart's express," Hermione said with a slight grin. "It was the first time I met your father. I must say, he was quite rude. But, I suppose much hasn't changed." She was grinning, and Rose knew her mother was only joking.

Finally, her father stopped in front of them, and they were standing in front of a bare wall. "This is the barrier between this platform and platform nine and three quarters. You just need to run straight at the wall between platforms nine and ten," he explained. Rose noticed that her father seemed to be in some far off place, thinking of something. Of course, this was where he had first met Rose's uncle Harry! She smiled to herself and watched as her mother ran ahead with Hugo, leaving Rose and her father behind.

"Come on, Rosie," her father said, placing his hand on her back. Together, they set off in a slow run. Rose closed her eyes, expecting to hit the wall. She braced herself for the smack, but it didn't come. Instead, she just kept running, slowing only when her father did. When she opened her eyes, a bright red steam engine was to her left, and there were more people here than on the Muggle platforms. She could barely move with all the students and their families occupying the area.

Looking around, Rose spotted her mother and Hugo waiting for them, just a little further ahead. Rose had already changed into her Hogwarts robes – Always the overachiever, just like her mother.

They approached the train, and Ron started to put all of Rose's things on board. "Where are they?" Rose asked, reaching up on her tiptoes to look for the rest of her family. However, no matter how high Rose tried to stretch, she couldn't see over the heads of the crowd surrounding them.

"Ron, darling, let's go look, shall we? They should be here any minute," Hermione said, reaching out to take Ron's hand. The four of them walked together, down the platform, to find the rest of their family.

In just a moment, the five of them came into view. Rose's excitement bubbled and she let out a quiet squeak. Her cousin, Albus, was her age, and they'd both being attending Hogwarts together this year. It made Rose feel much better about going, knowing she wouldn't be alone in her year.

"I /won't/ be in Slytherin!" she heard Albus shout to James. Rose's heart immediately sank. She hadn't considered what house she'd be in. She always assumed it would be Gryffindor, just like the rest of her family. But… What would her parents think if she were in Slytherin, or even Hufflepuff? She sighed softly, but decided not to dwell on the fact. Both of her parents were in Gryffindor, there was no way there'd be another option for her.

When they met up, everyone said their hellos, and Rose's dad started helping her uncle load all of their things onto the train. "Hi," she heard Albus greet her quietly, and she smiled at her cousin, smoothing down the front of her robes.

She vaguely heard their parents talking about the Muggle driving test that her father /almost/ never passed. Rose's mother promised that when she was the right age, she could get her license too. She liked that. She thoroughly enjoyed the idea of being able to be a part of both the Muggle and wizarding worlds.

The next thing she heard was her father, speaking to both her and Albus. "If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," he'd said, and the blood drained from both Albus and Rose's faces. Rose's heart started to race. This was it. She /needed/ to be in Gryffindor. She'd barely heard what her mother said, and was no longer paying attention until her father spoke again.

"Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains." Rose sighed heavily, not answering him.

"Ron, for heaven's sake, don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!" she heard her mother scold him playfully.

Rose looked up to see the boy they were talking about and she smiled slightly. She had never shown an interest in boys before, but she had to admit, he was cute. He had pale blond hair, sculpted cheek bones and a pointed chin. He noticed her looking at him, and he smiled shyly, his eyes lighting up, before turning away. Rose felt her cheeks flush and she looked down at her feet, thankful that no one was looking at her.

Suddenly, she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. "It's time to go, Rosie," she said, her eyes glistening. Oh, she didn't want her mother to cry. Before she knew it, her mother pulled her into a tight hug, a sad sigh floating from her lips. When she let go, Rose looked up and smiled. "Love you, Mum," she said, reaching up to kiss her mother's cheek. Quickly, she gave her father a quick, tight hug before letting.

"Better get going, Rosie," he said. "Don't want to miss the train." One more quick goodbye and Rose boarded the train, with Albus in tow. They found the compartment that housed her other two cousins – James and Victoire. The first thing she noticed was the smudged color on Victoire's lips. She remembered James vaguely expressing her snogging Teddy earlier. A little grin lit up her lips. "Victoire, you have a little something right there," Rose said to her, pointing to her own lip. She laughed softly, causing the two other boys to laugh, as well.

"James!" Victoire exclaimed, leaning over to smack his shoulder. Rose noticed that her cousin had doubled over, laughing.

Without making another sound, Rose stared out the window as they hit the hillside, thinking about what her father had said to her in the train station. 'If you're not in Gryffindor…' his voice echoed in her head. She sighed, closing her eyes as she rested her head against the window pane.

"Rosie, what's wrong?" she recognized Victoire's soft voice, though she couldn't see her face. Victoire was sitting across the compartment from her. Rose's eyes opened slowly, and she hadn't realized her emotions were so clearly written across her face.

"Nothing," she said quietly, hoping to dismiss the fact.

"I know that's not true," Victoire prodded. "Trust me, Rosie. I can tell when something's wrong with my baby cousin." Victoire's voice was beautiful – She had a British accent like her fathers (like they all had, in fact), but there was a little twinge of her mother's French accent there, too.

"What if I'm not in Gryffindor?" Rose blurted out. She could tell from the sigh that Albus let out that he was thinking the same thing. "James, you heard what my dad said in the train station. He'll /disinherit/ me." Her voice was nearly trembling. It hadn't occurred to Rose that her father might've been joking. "I'll be a laughing stalk if everyone else in my family makes Gryffindor, and I'm stuck in stupid, ol' Hufflepuff…" She leaned back in her chair, her arms crossing over her chest.

Albus, who was sitting next to her, reached out, putting a hand on her arm. "My dad told me something before I got on the train…" Albus said quietly. For a moment, it didn't even feel like James and Victoire were in the room with them. Rose had to admit, her and Albus were best friends since they were babies. She liked to think they had a special connection, since they were the same age. "He told me that the Sorting Hat takes your choice into account, when it decides where to put you. If you want to be in Gryffindor bad enough, it'll put you there with the rest of our family. That's what Dad told me. Dad also told me that there are plenty of people in each house to be proud of. You should be proud of whatever house you're in. Even Slytherin." He sighed softly, almost like he didn't believe his own words. Rose knew that was Al's biggest fear – Being in Slytherin. James teased him about it all the time.

"Maybe you're right," Rose resigned. She stayed quiet for most of the trip, until the lady came around with the sweets trolley. Rose bought a couple Pumpkin Pasties, and some Chocolate Frogs. Her father had given his collection of Famous Wizard cards to both her and Hugo. But, over the past couple decades, a few new faces made the cards. Like, her uncle, Harry, for instance. Rose had yet to own one of those cards, but she'd heard about them. After eating a Pumpkin Pasty, she opened her chocolate frog, and grabbed him before he could jump away on her. When she'd finished the chocolate, she looked at the card inside, and who was smiling up at her, but her uncle, Harry.

With a grin of her own, Rose took the card out, and handed it to Albus who was sitting next to her. He nearly sprayed Pumpkin Juice everywhere when he saw his father smiling back at him. "Holy cricket! James, it's Dad!" he exclaimed, handing the card over to his older brother. It was obvious that neither of them had seen the card before, either.

After each of them had their own turn inspecting the card carefully, it returned to Rose's hand and she read out loud: "Harry James Potter. July 31 1980 to present. Harry is most commonly known for his defeat of the Dark Lord in 1981. However, other magical feats include slaying the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets in 1992, nearly winning the Triwizard Tournament in 1995, and founding the new Order of the Phoenix, otherwise known as Dumbledore's Army. He also brought peace to the wizarding world in 1998 by finally defeating the Dark Lord with the help of many witches and wizards, including Ronald and Hermione Weasley."

"Whoa…" James whispered, sounding freakishly like her father, Rose thought. Turning the card back over, Rose looked back down at her uncle one more time before he disappeared. The smile that was on his face in the photo helped Rose to truly believe what Albus had told her earlier. Maybe she'd be just fine in either of the houses, or maybe the Sorting Hat would consider her choice, if she begged him hard enough…


	4. Chapter 3: The Sorting Hat

AN: In this chapter, the students get Sorted into their houses. For the Sorting Hat Song, I used a combination of JK's lyrics from the Philosopher's Stone, and some of my own that I made up, for the beginning and end of the song. (:

* * *

"Firs' years, follow me!" Rose heard Hagrid's booming voice before she seen him. She was so familiar with him by now that he no longer frightened her. She remembered seeing pictures of him from the Second Wizarding War, when he fought with her parents, and the differences between now and then were obvious. He now had small wrinkles around his eyes, and there were streaks of grey throughout his entire head of hair. However, Hagrid still seemed to bring a smile to her face whenever she saw him.

"All the firs' years, this way!" he shouted again, until all the first year students were grouped together behind him. Albus was standing with Rose, and she grabbed his hand quickly, so they wouldn't get separated.

Hagrid led the group over to the dock, where about twenty small row boats waited for them. Rose smiled up at her cousin as he helped her into the boat, and two other students piled in with them. Rose recognized one of them immediately. It was the pale-haired boy they'd seen in the station. It was obvious from the way her father spoke that their parents knew each other, but they hadn't mentioned him much before.

"I'm Rose," she said, extending her hand to the boy. She was the first one to speak, and the first to break the ice. "Rose Weasley."

"Scorpius," he said quietly, reaching out to shake her hand, once quickly. "Malfoy." He sat back in his seat after he'd spoke. To Rose, he seemed to be one of the shiest boys she'd ever met. Turning to the other boy when he spoke, Rose smiled.

"I'm Will," he said, introducing himself. "Will Finch-Fletchley." He shook Rose's hand, and turned to Albus. "Who're you?" he asked, noticing that Albus hadn't said anything yet.

"I-I'm Albus Potter," he said. "Rose is my cousin."

"What house do you think you'll be in?" Will asked curiously. Rose could tell he didn't mean any harm from the question, but once again, Albus blanched. "Both of my parents were in Hufflepuff, so it's a no-brainer for me," he bragged.

"My parents were in Slytherin," Scorpius piped up, sounded rather embarrassed by it. Rose wondered what he was so embarrassed about. Then it hit her. Perhaps his father had said the same thing that Rose's did.

"All of our parents were in Gryffindor," Rose said, sparing Albus. "Actually, our whole family was in Gryffindor." Realizing this fact made Rose feel slightly better about the situation. She hoped it did the same for Albus.

Before another word could be said, the boat stopped at the dock, and all the first years started to hop out. The four of them all clambered out of their boat, careful not to fall in the water. Rose found herself smiling as the four of them walked together into the castle. She wasn't even /at/ the school yet, and she'd already made two friends.

They entered the castle together in silence, Hagrid leading the way. Rose looked around, amazed by the enormity of it all. Before she knew it, they stopped in front of a large door which could only lead to the Great Hall. She'd read about it, of course, and she'd heard many stories from her parents, aunts and uncles.

"Now, you jus' wait right 'ere," Rose heard Hagrid saying. On the stairs next to them, a witch appeared. She was dressed in emerald green robes, with a pointy hat – Professor McGonagall, Rose knew. She was their Headmistress, and she still looked after the Sorting Ceremony.

"In just a few moments," she spoke without moving from her place on the stairs. "You will enter the Great Hall with the rest of the students, but before you can join them, you must be Sorted into your houses. They are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Please, follow me."

With that, Professor McGonagall turned and walked to the giant double doors, opening them slowly. All of the first year students filed in after her, collecting in the front of the Great Hall, where the Sorting Hat sat on a stool, before them on the platform.

"Here I am, the Sorting Hat,  
Now sit me upon your head.  
Let me see inside your mind,  
See where you were born and bred.  
Let's find out where you belong,  
which house to put you in.  
You may belong to Gryffindor,  
Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin.  
You may belong in Gryffindor,  
where dwell the brave at heart.  
Their daring, nerve and chivalry  
set Gryffindors apart.  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
where they are just and loyal.  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
and unafraid of toil.  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
where those of wit and learning,  
will always find their kind.  
Or perhaps in Slytherin,  
you'll make your real friends.  
Those cunning folk use any means  
to achieve their ends.  
So pull me on,  
tight over your ears.  
Have trust in me,  
for I've been right  
these many years."

Rose smiled to herself as she listening to the Sorting Hat's song. Listening to the way the Sorting Hat described each of the houses almost made Rose feel better about the whole situation.

"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall called out. "You will come forward, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and then you will join your house."

Silence took over the whole Great Hall, and there was a short pause before Professor McGonagall started calling the names. "William Finch-Fletchley," she called, and Will turned to look at her with a grin on his face. When he reached the platform and hopped up on the stool, he looked straight at Rose and winked. When the Sorting Hat was placed on his head, it said, "Hmm.. Yes.. Hufflepuff!" With a broad grin, Will jumped down and raced over to the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall.

"Albus Potter," Professor McGonagall called out, and Rose could almost swear she said a tiny grin gracing the professor's lips.

"Potter… Potter…" The Sorting Hat murmured. "Yes… I remember your father. And mother, too. Looks like it'll have to be… Gryffindor!" With a huge sigh of relief, Albus jumped down from the stool, and grinned brightly at Rose when he passed, headed to the Gryffindor table with the rest of his family.

"Amelia Everbloom," Professor McGonagall called her name with unnerving clarity. A moment later, she was sorted into Ravenclaw.

Rose swallowed the lump in her throat as she realized that the crowd at the front of the room was thinning, and she, as well as Scorpius, was sorted yet.

"Rose Weasley," she heard Professor McGonagall call. Drawing in a calming breath, Rose walked slowly up to the stool and sat.

"Oh my… Another Weasley. Hmm… Yes… Well, let's see… Yes, Gryffindor!" Rose let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. There was a relieved smile on her face as she passed Scorpius within the small crowd.

Professor McGonagall called out a few more names, and Rose watched from the Gryffindor table where she sat with her family.

"Scorpius Malfoy." He was one of the few students left at the front of the room. Slowly, he made his way to the front of the room and sat on the stool.

"Oh, another Malfoy," the Hat said quietly. "Yes, hmm.. I remember your father. Slytherin through and through. That, too, seems like the obvious choice for you. But… I think… It'll have to be… Gryffindor!" the Hat shouted, and Rose's jaw dropped. She saw the look on Scorpius' face as he stepped down from the stool. All the blood drained from his face, and he looked like he was going to faint. He walked like a zombie down to the Gryffindor table, and sat on the end, by himself, without speaking to anyone.

The celebrations continued, with a short speech from Professor McGonagall. Rose enjoyed the feast, laughing and celebrating with her cousins. Her eyes kept drifting over to Scorpius, though wondering how he was doing.

When the celebrations ended, and they all headed back to their dormitories, Scorpius fell behind, and Rose began looking around for him. When she realized that he was in the back of the crowd, she lagged behind, letting Albus catch up with his brother.

"Hey," Rose said quietly, when she walked by his side. "You okay?" Her eyebrows lifted hopefully as she looked down at him. He was walking with his head down and his eyes were on his feet. He shrugged one shoulder, and Rose could tell he wasn't in the mood to talk. Rose knew exactly what Scorpius was upset about.

"It'll be alright," Rose whispered, her eyes staying focused on him. She wanted to comfort him in some way, but she didn't know him well enough for that.

"Easy for you to say," Scorpius muttered. "You got into the house you wanted." He sighed heavily, rolling his eyes.

"Hey now," Rose said softly. "No need to take it out on me." Her eyebrows puckered in the middle as they pulled together thoughtfully. "You know… Most people would be happy to be in Gryffindor. Excited, even. I'm sure your dad will be okay with it."

Scorpius simply shook his head, and Rose knew the conversation was over. There was nothing else she could say to him that would convince him otherwise – Not yet, anyway.

"Rose, are you coming?" Rose heard Albus shout out, finally realizing that she and Scorpius had seriously fallen behind.

"Be there in a minute, Al!" she shouted back before taking one last glance at Scorpius. "You're welcome to join us, you know. Maybe making some friends will make this easier." However, Scorpius didn't say anything. He just kept staring at his feet, trying his best to ignore her. Rose let out a frustrated sigh, rolling her eyes. "Boys…" she muttered before picking up her pace to catch up with the rest of her cousins.

"Sorry about that," Rose said, when she finally caught up to them. "He seemed really upset." With one last look back at him, Rose let out a small sigh.

James snorted, shaking his head. "He has good reason to be," he said. "His whole family's been in Slytherin for generations. Mum's and dad's sides of the family. You've probably heard stories about them before, Rosie. They're the /Malfoys/. They were one of the most loyal pure-blood families to follow Voldemort. Being in any other house, other than Slytherin, is a disgrace to them." He shrugged, like what he had said was no big deal. "But you shouldn't worry. You made Gryffindor, after all," he added with a wink in her direction.

The rest of the conversation went in that direction. They were all excited that both Albus and Rose made Gryffindor. In just a few moments, they were already at the painting that guarded the entrance to the Common Room.

Their prefect, a boy whose name Rose hadn't caught yet, spoke the password to the Fat Lady. "Draconis lacum," and the portrait swung open, allowing them inside.

Rose's jaw dropped when they stepped inside. Everything was decorated in red and gold and the fireplace was already lit. "All of your belongings have already been brought up to your dormitories," the prefect explained. Rose smiled to herself as she turned slowly, looking around the entire room.

Once again, her eyes landed on a particular pale-haired boy, who seemed quite upset, sitting in the corner by himself. Rose knew there was no point in trying to talk to him. She decided it would be best to give him some space. Let him think things through, and then perhaps she could help him break the news to his parents.

"I suggest you all retire early this evening," the prefect spoke up again. "Classes start tomorrow morning, at eight o'clock sharp!" The entire room groaned in unison before they all started to disperse slowly, finding their dormitories and their things.


	5. Chapter 4: First Day of Class

Chapter 4:

Transfiguration was Rose's first class the next morning. This was one of the classes Rose was truly excited for. She's always had an interest in transfiguration, ever since she was old enough to understand what it was, and her parents had been performing it around the house.

Rose had woken up long before any of the other Gryffindor girls. She showered and tried to tame her mass of red curls. She smoothed out her robes perfectly. Rose's mind was reeling from all the excitement. How would this lesson go? She'd been dying to have a lesson from Professor McGonagall, ever since her parents had started telling her stories.

An hour later, the Gryffindor first years, along with those of Ravenclaw, were sitting in the Transfiguration classroom, waiting for Professor McGonagall to start her lesson. Then, as soon as the clock in the front of the room struck eight o'clock, the cat that was sitting on the corner of the desk transformed, and Professor McGonagall was standing before them. Most of the students were sitting with their mouths wide open, their parents obviously leaving out the fact that McGonagall was a cat.

"What you have just seen," she started, looking composed at the front of the room. "Was one of the most complex forms of Transfiguration. The ability to transfigure yourself to another form – Mostly that of an animal – takes great skill. Your animagus form will directly relate to your personality. But, that bit of knowledge will come in later years," she said, the tiniest of smiles gracing the corners of her lips.

"Today, we will start with a simple spell," she continued, looking around the classroom. "I want you all to pair up, and we will practice on turning a match into a needle." She clapped her hands together, signalling them to hurry.

Rose drew a deep breath, and rose from her seat, walking in the opposite direction of Albus – who would be her obvious choice. She walked toward Scorpius, and she knew she'd hear it from Al later. "Want to be my partner?" Rose asked, making an effort to help him fit in. Scorpius simply shrugged, glancing up at Rose quickly. She sighed heavily, and sat in the open spot at the bench with him. She drew her wand as Professor McGonagall walked around, distributing the matches to the students.

"When you've received your match, and I want you to all take turns, saying the words 'Incerere Acus'." She, again, stood at the front of the room, watching all of the students, her eyes flickering around to all of their faces.

Rose held her wand carefully, glancing at Scorpius. "Do you want to go first?" she asked, but he only shrugged again, showing absolutely no interest in the matter. "Fine," Rose muttered, feeling frustrated that he hadn't made an effort yet.

She cleared her throat, focusing on the match that sat on the desk in front of them. She held her want out, her wrist flourishing slightly, as she spoke the words very carefully. "Incerere Acus." The match before them slowly changed form, turning to a silver color, and becoming pointy on one end. Rose smiled, satisfied, as Professor McGonagall walked over to her. "Excellent job, Miss Weasley," she said, an approving tone to her voice. She picked up the needle, showing the rest of the class her work. Rose was aware that she was a good witch – She'd been practicing whenever she had the chance, and studying all the books she owned. Her mother would help her too, give her advice on how to master particular spells.

When Professor McGonagall walked away, Rose turned to Scorpius. "It's your turn," she told him, and she half expected him to just sit there, shrugging his shoulders again. She was surprised however, when Scorpius straightened up, drawing out his wand.

He cleared his throat like Rose had done earlier, and spoke quietly, his eyes focusing on his own matchstick. He spoke the spell, and watched as it turned silver and pointy, just as Rose's had moments before. For the first time since before the Sorting Ceremony, Rose seen a tiny smile light Scorpius' lips – Obviously he was very impressed with himself. Professor McGonagall walked over to them and congratulated Scorpius the same way she had with Rose.

They were the only two in the entire class that managed to perform the spell successfully, including all of the Ravenclaws, much to their dismay. Half way through the class, Rose glanced over at her cousin, who was trying furiously to turn his matchstick to a needle. In a moment, Albus' matchstick caught on fire, bursting into flame. He jumped back immediately, and Rose heard a scoff from beside her. "Looks like he's not quite living up to his father's reputation," Scorpius muttered, rolling his eyes.

Rose gave him a harsh look, glaring at him, not speaking to him for the rest of the class. When Professor McGonagall dismissed them, Rose collected her wand and books, walking over to meet Albus.

"What was that all about?" he questioned, nodding his head over to where Rose and Scorpius had been sitting previously.

"Nothing," Rose said quickly, shaking her head as they both headed from the classroom. "I just thought he might want a friend…"

Albus shrugged, not saying anything. "Well, you heard what he said about his father, if he didn't end up in Slytherin!" she defended, quite loudly as they walked through the hall, and down the staircases to the dungeons. "And now he's in Gryffindor. Which, need I remind you, is Slytherin's /sworn/ enemy," she said, emphasizing her words carefully. "He's going to need friends, if he was serious about his father."

"Maybe you're right," Albus conceded. It was obvious that their parents hadn't told them about Scorpius' father – Not wanting to ruin friendships before they even began to blossom.

They continued in mostly in silence all the way down to the dungeons, maneuvering their way down the staircases. Together, they walked into the Potions classroom, all of the Gryffindor students joining the Slytherins.

The desks were in threes in the room, and Rose noticed Scorpius sitting by himself, yet again. The tugged on Albus' hand, who had already started to walked toward some of the other students. "Come on," she muttered, pulling him.

Scorpius already had his things set on his desk and was waiting for the teacher to begin. She sat down next to him, with Albus on her other side, and smiled at Scorpius. He didn't seem to notice her, as he just stared straight ahead.

The professor cleared his throat, and grinned down at them all. "Good morning!" he boomed cheerfully. "I expect you all know your way around the castle by now," he said, his grin clearly giving away his joke. The moment the words were out of his lips, a couple students bustled into the classroom, finding the two empty seats that were left. The professor chuckled to himself and began pacing the front of the classroom.

"I'm Professor Montague," he introduced himself. He was rather large, quite round, and his cheek were tinged a light pink. He seemed much more pleasant that the other Potions professors that Rose had heard about.

"Today, we're going to start with just a few basics. Some of the things you all would already know, had you read your text books," he added with a grin. Rose's eyes flew open, realizing one of the few books she hadn't looked at yet was Potions.

"Everyone get out your parchment and quills and start taking notes," he said as a piece of chalk lifted from the desk in the middle of the room, seeming to hover in midair. It pressed to the blackboard in the corner as Professor Montague began to speak.

Everything went smoothly, and Rose was rather impressed with herself. He'd asked her a few questions and she proudly answered them all correctly. Before she knew it, the class was over, and to her dismay, they hadn't prepared a single potion. She dismissed the thought quickly as she noticed Scorpius rising from the desk.

"We've got a free hour now," Rose told him excitedly. "Did you want to go explore the castle?" Rose stood quickly, collecting her books and putting them in her bag.

Scorpius turned to her, his dark grey eyes cold. "You don't have to feel sorry for me," he said, the first time he'd spoken all day. "I know you're only pretending to make me feel better, otherwise you wouldn't be trying so hard." He turned quickly, and Rose stood there for a moment, her jaw dropped.

"Hang on a second," she said quickly, racing to catch up with him. They were the only ones in the hallway when they emerged from the classroom. It seemed everyone else dispersed, for either another class, or their free hour. "Why do you think I feel sorry for you?" she asked, struggling to catch her breath as she kept pace beside him.

"Why do you want to be my friend?" he suddenly rounded on her. "If… If I hadn't confessed that about my father, you'd never think twice about being my friend, would you?" He sighed heavily, shaking his head angrily.

"That's not true!" she exclaimed, shocked that he had suggested it. "I do want to be your friend. When… When we seen each other at King's Cross, for the first time… I had hoped you'd be in my house. I hoped you'd want to be my friend, too. Then… When you confessed you wanted to be in Slytherin, I was disappointed." Her eyes were saddened as she looked up at him.

"Just stay away from me," he muttered as he took the turn to head to the Common Room. After giving the Fat Lady the password, he disappeared behind the painting. Rose was frozen. She wasn't sure how to react. She didn't /want/ to leave him alone, but it was obvious he didn't want to be her friend. She groaned slightly, heading back down the staircase. It was midday, and Rose decided it would be nice to go visit Hagrid, tell him about most of her first day, and maybe get some answers…


	6. Chapter 5: Story Time

AN: I really hope you're all enjoying the story so far (: It may get a little bit boring for the next couple of chapters, but I promise it'll pick up again very soon!  
-xo!

* * *

Rose left the building in a rush, heading through the Viaduct, and the Transfiguration Courtyard. She headed toward the Forbidden Forest, but stopped short, right in front of Hagrid's door. He was still the Care Of Magical Creatures professor, and Rose thought she was lucky at he wasn't teaching right now.

She walked up to the abnormally large door, in front of Hagrid's strangely small home. Knocking three, soft times, Rose took a step back and waited for an answer.

"Rosie!" Hagrid's voice bellowed cheerfully when he saw her. He gave her a quick, surprisingly soft hug before allowed her to come in to his hut. "Would you like some tea?" Hagrid asked gruffly, in his rough voice.

"That would be great, Hagrid!" Rose said happily. This was the first time she had ever been to Hagrid's hut, but she'd heard stories from her parents. She sat up on the oversized arm chair, her feet dangling over the edge, nowhere near the ground.

Turning around with the kettle in his hand, Hagrid chuckled softly when he seen her. "Ye' know, Rosie, ye' remind me a lot of yer mum when she firs' came teh visit," he said, seeming to happily recall the memory.

Rose smiled - She was used to being compared to her parents. Hagrid turned back around to prepare the tea, and Rose looked around the room. It was an entire home piled into one room. His bed was on the furthest side of the room, and the kitchen, complete with a table and chairs was behind her. In front of her was a large fireplace, and next to that was a sofa. She smiled to herself - it was very Hagrid.

When Hagrid turned back around with two teacups in his hands, Rose smoothed out her robes, preparing to ask him her question. She gratefully accepted her teacup from him and thanked him. After taking a sip, she cleared her throat. "Um, Hagrid," she said timidly, wondering if she was setting on unwelcome territory. "What do you know about Scorpius Mafoy's parents?"

She could see the shock on his face when she asked. He nearly spit out his tea. "Ye mean yer parents never told ye about 'im?" he asked, his eyes wide. He sighed heavily. "I'm not sure I'm the one to tell ye this, Rosie," he said slowly. Rose's eyes were pleading as she looked up at him. "Fine," he resigned.

"I'm sure yer parents told yeh about teh Second Wizardin' War?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. Rose's head nodded vigorously. "Well, yer parents were on the side for good. All they wanted was peace. Scorpius' father on teh other hand... He supported You- _Voldemort_," Hagrid said in a hushed tone, like he was still afraid of the name.

"His family - they were Voldemort's biggest supporters... They did some terrible things. Scorpius' father - Draco - included. Yer uncle, Harry, though, he seemed to believe Draco was good at heart. Saved his life, ye know," Hagrid said with a proud smile. It was obvious that he was very fond of Harry. "They ran from Voldemort the first chance they had during teh War. Perhaps they was good people, just tainted with the idea of blood status." Hagrid shrugged, that seemed to be all he was going to say on the subject.

Realizing Rose's hadn't drank any of her tea yet, she drunk it back quickly, not wanting it to get cold.

"Rosie," Hagrid spoke again, this time his voice was softer. "There's something you got teh understand. Not all witches and wizards are good like yer parents were. Some of them go bad… Scorpius' grandfather was one of the worst. But that doesn't mean Scorpius is. He was put in Gryffindor for a reason, wouldn't he?" Rose considered this. Scorpius didn't seem like a bad person, but no one really knew what happened behind closed doors.

"Maybe all he needs is a friend," Hagrid murmured.

"But, Hagrid! I tried being his friend," Rose said, quite upset. "He didn't /want/ to be my friend…"

Hagrid grunted, shaking his head. "Maybe he's more like his father than I thought," he muttered. "Yeh just got to give him time, Rosie. Being put in Gryffindor has got to be hard for him."

Rose took another sip of her tea, thinking through Hagrid's words. Maybe she shouldn't have forced her friendship on him. She should give him time to get used to the idea that he was going to be a Gryffindor, and not a Slytherin. When Rose finished her tea, she rose from her seat and placed her empty cup on the table.

"Thanks, Hagrid," she said, reaching up to give him a tight hug.

After saying their goodbyes, Rose raced back up to the school, hoping to make it to Charms in time. Thankfully, she wasn't late. She took her seat next to Albus before Professor Flitwick had a chance to start.

"Welcome, welcome!" Flitwick said cheerfully after everyone had taken their seats. "Today we're going to start off with something simple. Before we actually start practicing charms, we need to practice the proper wrist motion. The most basic of these motions is called the 'Swish and Flick'." He smiled encouragingly, and showed them how to do it.

The entire class went the same way – Professor Flitwick going over the basic wrist movements, and the rest of the class practicing them.

Rose's day continued fairly quickly, up until they went to the Great Hall for supper.

"How was your first day?" she heard her older cousin James ask both his younger cousins.

"It was great!" Albus said excitedly. Clearly he had enjoyed his day a little more than Rose had.

"It was brilliant," Rose said, smiling up at her older cousin. "I especially liked Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall is wonderful."

"Isn't she?" James said, admiringly. "I've always thought so. Especially if you know what she's gone through." He ended quietly, almost keeping to himself.

Rose's eyebrows pulled together. James always had this mysterious way of talking – Like he was leaking precious information to his younger cousins.

After that, they all ate silently, without saying another word. When it was over, and they were all ready to head back to their common room, Rose pulled James aside, while everyone else went ahead.

"/What/?" James asked, slightly annoyed as he looked ahead to all of his friends.

"James… I need your help," Rose said, her voice sounding desperate. "I need to know why it's so bad that Scorpius is in Gryffindor. And I know your dad has told you everything. But my parents… It's like their trying to protect me." Rose shrugged. It didn't bother her. She thoroughly enjoyed her parents' stories, but she understood that there were somethings they chose to keep to themselves.

"How much do you know?" James asked, his attention suddenly all on Rose.

"I just know that his entire has been in Slytherin, for generations. That's what Hagrid told me." Her brown eyes – resembling her mother's – were wide with anticipation.

"You asked /Hagrid/ about this?" James asked, utterly shocked. "You should know he's going to tell you less than your parents." James groaned, rolling his eyes. "Well, at least he was right about that much. But… His father was raised to believe that the only worthy wizard was one born into a pureblood family. /That's/ why it was important for him to be in Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin believed the same. The Malfoys were the biggest supporters when it came to that." James paused, gauging Rose's reaction.

"But my mum," she said quietly with sudden realization. "Is that why he doesn't like me?" she asked, anxious.

"Nah, I doubt it. Dad said Draco Malfoy realized, after it was all over, what a horrible person he'd been. That everything he believed in was wrong. He said your mum was the best in their year, so obviously the Malfoys were wrong." James shrugged, the story not effecting him the way it did Rose. "It's more or less a tradition. A very serious tradition. And Scorpius just broke it. But, look on the bright side, judging by his parents, we just gained a great wizard." After adding a wink, James picked up his pace and caught up with the rest of his friends, as Rose trailed behind, all of them heading up to the common room.


	7. Chapter 6: This Means War

AN: I am so so so sorry it took me so long to upload this! But, I had it half written, then rethought it and started a completely new chapter, rewriting it all. But, I'm hoping to post new chapters a lot sooner. I really hope you like it (:  
-xo

* * *

As the days passed, Rose remembered what her father had said to her at King's Cross. 'Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie.' That surfaced an idea. If Scorpius wasn't going to speak to her, she could still have a little fun with him. Besides, she was one of the smartest witches in her year. Scorpius was a close second, however. This little competition of hers was certainly going to be interesting.

The following week, Professor Flitwick tested them in their wand-waving technique. Rose had mastered it, of course, and since she did the best, she earned her house twenty-five points. With a greasy grin, Rose glanced over at Scorpius from the corner of her eye. He caught her gaze, and his expression slowly turned to a glare. Rose knew immediately from his look that this meant war.

The weeks continued on in the same fashion – The two of them competing for the highest grades in all of their classes. There was one class, however, that Scorpius always seemed to be better at, and that was Potions. Rose had yet to beat him in any test at all in that class. Rose had also noticed that most of their professors had become aware of this rivalry and finding enjoyment in it.

They would set some of the most difficult tasks for the two, ones that a normal first year would never be able to answer. But, as they were the brightest in their year, they'd done their studying.

During Transfiguration that Tuesday morning, they received their marks for an essay they'd been assigned the week before. Rose had beaten Scorpius, once again. Not a word had been spoken between the two for weeks. However, after Transfiguration, Scorpius waited outside the classroom for Rose to emerge.

**Scorpius' POV:**

"Weasley!" Scorpius called after her as she passed him without acknowledgement. "What's this little game of yours?" His eyebrows furrowed together, causing a small crease to appear between them.

Stopping in her tracks and turning to face him, Rose's face seemed to be innocent, but Scorpius could see past that façade. "Why, what do you mean?" she asked him, her voice sounding overly sweet. "I'm simply just doing the best that I can in my classes."

The sugary-sweet sound of Rose's voice sent chills down Scorpius' back. His grey eyes burrowed into hers and he could see beyond her act. "You're not going to win, you know," Scorpius threatened before turning on his heel and walking down the hallway away from her.

As he made his way up to the Gryffindor common room, he couldn't seem to get Rose from his mind. Scorpius normally had an aversion to girls – His mother was convinced it was just 'that age'. He'd never felt this way about a girl before. It was completely new to him. He just wanted to be her friend… But she was a Weasley, and his father had warned him about them. They were – Or used to be – Pure Bloods, like himself. Rose, on the other hand, was a half-blood, because her mother was Muggle-born. Scorpius knew all about his family's history, how blood purity was so important to them. Scorpius didn't quite understand it, but Rose frustrated him so much, that he almost could understand the way his family felt.

Months passed on in the same fashion: The two only speaking to compare their grades. They wouldn't even say hello in the hallway. Scorpius liked to think it didn't bother him, but Rose was the first person to attempt friendship with him. She was different than everybody else, he knew. She didn't care about who his family was – She told him that. She simply wanted to be his friend, and now he might've gone and ruined that forever.

* * *

Before he knew it, it was Christmas. It was almost time for Scorpius to board the Hogwarts train once again and head home for the holidays. Most students were away in their dormitories, packing away their things during their last few days there. That was exactly why he found Rose Weasley sitting in the common room alone when he made it past the Fat Lady.

Pausing in the doorway, Scorpius simply watched her, as she was unaware of his presence. She was studying – The fact almost made Scorpius smile. Always the determined one. She was sitting on the chair in front of the fireplace, her legs tucked beneath her and her long, copper hair pulled into a ponytail on the back of her head.

"Hi," Scorpius finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. There was something about this situation, the two of the in the common room, the only noise coming from the crackling of the fireplace, that intimidated him.

Rose's head snapped up from her book and her eyes widened slightly as she registered his face. "What do you want?" she asked, acid creeping into her voice.

Scorpius could feel the blood rush out of his face. He must have been really horrible to her if she didn't even want to speak to him now. "Uh, nothing," he muttered before ducking his head and heading to the staircase leading up to his dormitory.

Other than going to class, Scorpius spent the next couple of days in his dormitory, packing up his things to go home for the holidays. There were only a few students lingering around when Scorpius made his way to the Entrance Hall, hauling his trunk behind him. Most of the students must be already on their way to the train, he realized, as he pulled his coat tighter around his neck. He walked out into the cold air, his eyes watering as the wind stung the skin of his face. His blond hair whipped around, the wind licking at his white locks.

He hurried his way across the Viaduct, making his way down to the platform. Hagrid took his trunk and loaded it aboard the train. "Thanks," Scorpius muttered, not looking at the overly abundant man.

As he made his way onto the train, he realized that being late didn't leave him the best selection of cars to sit in. The only one that was left through the entire train was... God, he really didn't want to do this.

He stopped just outside the door, tapping his knuckles against the glass lightly. Her head snapped up, her brown eyes narrowing on him. His expression softened. The truth was, he needed a place to sit for the next few hours, and perhaps her company wouldn't be so bad.

Scorpius watched as she slowly nodded her head, then turned her attention back to the book she was reading - The same book she was reading the other night. He took the seat across from her and opened his mouth to speak, but her head snapped up again.

"I'm warning you," she said, her voice quiet. "If you interrupt me at all, I /will/ turn you into a doormat. Or perhaps a ferret." She had a strange smirk on her face, like she knew something that he didn't.

Without speaking a word, Scorpius shrunk back into his seat, his eyes staying trained on Rose as she fell back into her book. Finally, he took notice to the title - The Dark Lord Rises. A lump formed in his throat. He'd heard the stories, he knew about his family's involvement. Maybe that was why Rose had this sudden resentment toward him. Or perhaps it was the way he had been treating her... He swallowed the lump and cleared his throat.

"I, uh... I'm sorry," Scorpius said in a whisper. His grey eyes looked up timidly toward her, but she didn't even look up. She was ignoring him, but he knew he deserved that. Leaning forward, he reached and took the book from her hands, closing it. He set it on the empty seat next to him, and his grey eyes looked up to meet her brown ones. Drawing in a deep breath, he started. "You were the first person at this school that tried to be my friend, and I... I rejected you. I guess... I just didn't want to be rejected by the people I was /supposed/ to be friends with. But... I don't care about that anymore. I want /real/ friends, not ones that my father chooses for me. I want to be /your/ friend. I know I hurt you before, but... I'm hoping that you can forgive me."

He stopped for a moment to judge her reaction. She sat there, a smart expression on her face, as if she almost didn't believe him.

"Finally," Rose said, her expression becoming relieved. "I was almost ready to give up on you." A tiny smile grew on her face now, and that small smile had the ability to ease Scorpius' mind.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" he asked, the relief spilling into his voice. His dull, grey eyes suddenly seemed to brighten as hope filled them.

"Of course," Rose said, smiling her sweet smile. She reached across and took her book back from her, holding it securely in her lap. For just a moment, they sat and stared at each other, neither one feeling the need to speak.

**Rose's POV**:

Her thin fingers wrapped around the edge of the book, keeping it safe in her hands. If Scorpius had seen where her bookmark had been laid, he might get upset. She couldn't afford that. Things had just finally been fixed between them. They were finally friends.

Rose was grateful for the distraction when the older witch came around with the trolley full of sweets. This was one of her favorite parts of the Hogwarts Express.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked through the open door. Her hair was silvery-white and was kept into a neat bun on the back of her head. There were wrinkles forming around her eyes, but from the smile on her face, Rose could tell that she dearly loved this job.

"Yes, please," both Rose and Scorpius said at the same time. They both stood up, withdrawing their money from their pockets. Rose bought a couple of Cauldron Cakes and some Liquorice Wands, while Scorpius bought a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and a packet of Drooble's.

When the elder witch left, hurrying further down the hall with her trolley, Rose and Scorpius shared out their things, making sure they were each even.

Rose smiled to herself, thoughtfully, as she opened up a Liquorice Wand. She was certain then, that this was the beginning to a great friendship.


End file.
